Mobility enhancements are important to future semiconductor, e.g. CMOS device technologies. Performance improvements from conventional process technologies are becoming extremely difficult to achieve. Methods to stress Si channels include: using SiGe which imparts stress from the bottom of the channel; different shallow trench isolation (STI) material choices which impart stresses from various sides, and SiN etch stop layers which also impart longitudinal stress from the sides. Drawbacks from the SiGe buffer layer or implanted-anneal-buffer approach with a strained Si cap layer are well known. Drawbacks include dislocations that impact yield severely, along with significant difficulty controlling As diffusion enhancements. Further, the process is quite complicated and costly. The STI approach is less costly but is not self-aligned to the gate and has RX size sensitivity. The less costly approach of using nitride etch stop layers to create stress does produce some benefit, but the benefit is believed to be relatively marginal.